New Charter School, if you wish to offer your support please read .

[alieh]

I am completely unaware of the politics behind any of this but would like to see more mixed sex state secondary options in the area...there is a site on Honor Oak Road, Hamilton Lodge, a former nursing home that is for sale. Is anyone aware if this has been considered as a secondary school site? I have flagged it with Lewisham councillors and with the Charter contact in the first post above.

[albert]

I would like to add my support to a second Charter School in the area. It is an excellent inclusive school that has amazing results and has "outstanding" status. It provides a fantastic education to hundreds of children from many different backgrounds. It seems strange that people wish to knock such a success story.

For the record both Harris Girls and Harris Boys are also outstanding. Harris Girls achieves amazing results that are going up every year. I'm sure Harris boys will also achieve fantastic results. Another MIXED Harris Academy would probably have been excellent.

It seems strange that so many people wish to knock Charter and Harris. It seems equally strange that some of the more vocal East Dulwich politicians do not seem to fully support their local schools, in more ways than one; although credit should be given to the campaign for another secondary school.

Haberdashers has many schools, some do well, some do not. As a Federation it has had many problems taking over or starting new schools.

Charter and Harris, at least, have proven themselves already in East Dulwich. How lucky we are to have them on our doorstep. Lets hope Charter gets another one.

[sophiesofa]

I can't sign up to officially support Charter as I don't have kids yet! But I wanted to post on here to offer my good luck wishes! I'm a secondary school teacher (not at Charter) and I believe Charter is definitely the best choice.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Anyone who wishes to offer their support can email [email protected] whereby their support will be registered.

[Biped1]

I think there is a meeting about it at The Charter School on Monday if anyone is interested. It says you need to book a place on the website.

[Otta]

What I find really sad (and more than a little bit childish) is the putting down of Haberdashers / Charter by the supporters of either.

As most reasonable people have stated in the last couple of weeks, both are capable of opening a new school, and a new school is what the area needs.

Support your chosen side, fine. But don't try slinging mud at the other one because it basically makes you look like you belong at the new school in year 7.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I think Charter is the one that seems to get more slagging off on the other thread than vice versa .

As you said , support one or the other but it doesn't help on the other thread that it's ok to complain that Charter is wrong for pursuing the bid to be the new school .

[Otta]

mariababe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We need facts here please don't post what you know

> nothing about

>

> - Habs use a banding system (as all Lewisham

> schools)

> -Charter do not

>

> This is NOT the same admissions criteria

Have either organisation actually stated what the policy would be for their NEW school yet? Saying HABS do banding like every other Lewisham school is all well and good for HABS Hatchem, but the Lewisham policy is hardly going to make a difference at the Dulwich Hospital site.

I might be missing something, but as far as I can see this sort of policy detail has not been advertised by either party, so this is all just guess work and opinion, which acheives nothing more than muddying the water.

[samstopit]

The steering group of parents who have approached Haberdashers to be their provider have stated from the outset that they want the new school to have a fair admissions process - they have described this as one which uses distance and banding. I assume there will be a period of consultation with both Charter and Haberdashers where the public can have their say regarding admissions policy etc.

If Charter are prepared to change the admissions policy for the new school it would seem logical that they would then change it for their existing school. To do otherwise would be hard to administrate and confusing I'd have thought. I'm hoping this will be something we can clarify at the meeting next week.

[bawdy-nan]

I agree with Otta. Its absolutely brilliant that it looks like there will be a new secondary school locally and one run by an organisation with a great track record. I don't think there's been a lot of slagging off of Charter, has there? Mostly, and I've been following the threads since they began, there's been a good deal of bigging up of the school (Charter).

Things shifted a bit when they, Charter, suddenly appeared to want to compete with the other bid which was a community led one. I say appeared because there's been no sign, that I could see, certainly, of their intending to pursue this route before the new school idea was raised. That doesn't mean, of course, that the governors hadn't been planning this for a long time. Only they know the truth of that.

The other criticisms raised have been around the Charters sustained reluctance to recognise a safe route to school that would allow access to an area of social housing. People commenting on this have rightly raised the fact that the report into this also acknowledged that Charter was an inclusive school.

I feel very uncomfortable about the briefings and counter-briefings. It may be the way to get what you want but its very unattractive.

[Carbonara]

I think a New Charter school would be an excellent development, and am pleased to see a model of a Free school being proposed along the same lines as a successful 'more like a normal community comp' model than some of the nutty Free Schools that have emerged!

As it happens, I am in favour of banded comps, and suspect that if all schools admitted on fair banding (and within each band on distance)then there would be fewer schools that parents avoid - all schools would have a reasonable spread of abilities and academic peer groups for our children.

Whatever else you may or may not have to say, introducing a fair banding system was key in the Kingsdale turnaround.

But no lotteries that have no relation to locality / distance, please!

[intexasatthe moment]

Interesting article on banding here

http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/06/time-to-allow-true-fair-banding/

[James Barber]

Hi Carbonarra,

I'd also suggest that if all schools were comprehensive via banding as you've suggested then attracting good teachers would be easier.

Part of the reason for previously launching a campaign for a new free school and more recently secondary school was to ensure we were in the driving seat rather than a 'nutty' provider. That's also why we greatly encouraged Dulwich Hamlet to follow this route

[intexasatthe moment]

It's a shame that there was no campaigning when Southwark were ceding control of schools and handing over all their secondary schools to private sponsors .